"Every so often a new restaurant lands in our fair city (generally a branch of an international group) and it's treated like the arrival of the messiah, with a pre-opening flurry of 'influencers', 'first look' features and all the rest of the hoopla that comes out of powerful PR companies. Of course I get the invitations to participate, but do I really want a 'hard hat' tour of the fit-out with a meet and greet of the builders and designers or, in the case of the new Gloria Osteria, a jaunt to Italy to meet the food producers, a party for 600 eager beavers queuing to get in, and a "behind-the-scenes sneak peek at Gloria, a few pints and a toastie with some of the Big Mamma team"?"
"Like hell I do. The only thing that matters is how they perform when they open their doors to Joe Public. So, following the seven-day soft opening and feeling a tad like the wicked witch, as I did with Hawksmoor, as I hadn't already crossed their doorstep, I set off for Westmoreland Street."
Gloria Osteria opened as a 180-seater on Westmoreland Street after an intense PR lead-up. The pre-opening activity included influencer events, 'first look' features, trips to Italy to meet food producers, builders' meet-and-greets, and a large party for 600 people. Numerous invitations and behind-the-scenes previews were offered, but the only meaningful measure cited was performance during the public opening. A seven-day soft opening preceded the hard opening, after which a visit was made to assess the restaurant when doors were fully open to the public.
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